Kingdom Hearts: Five Hearts
by Paradigm Master
Summary: Sora, Roxas, Kairi, Namine, Riku. Five friends, five hearts. Their peaceful days in Twilight Town are shattered, when Organisation XIII takes them into their clutches. Forced to work as Organisation members, will the five ever see the twilight again? Or will something in their hearts hold them back? A.U., yaoi/yuri (don't like don't read), may contain OCs. My first KH FF
1. Chapter I

**KINGDOM HEARTS**

FIVE HEARTS

* * *

**A/N:** This is my first time writing a fanfic for the Kingdom Hearts universe, so please be...gentle...senpai...

Okay, this is getting perverted...0_0

Basically this is based on the Kingdom Hearts series we all know and love, but is slightly AU in the sense that I'm not too worried about getting the chronology, the whole Roxas/Sora thing, or stuff like that correct. So if you see any inaccuracies, assume it's a part of the AU. They're just five special kids who get stolen away by a new Organisation on the rise. They are all KH2 age as well.

I warn you that this story may have yuri, yaoi, violence and stuff like that so if you don't like, don't read.

**DISCLAIMER:** I DON'T OWN ANYTHING, ONLY MY STORY IDEA! (Wishes she owned Kingdom Hearts).

Most of all, leave me reviews! Pweese? Axel wants you to! Just look at his little face. Aww, I think he's tearing up, surely you don't want to see him cry?

Haha...ha...let's just get on with this...

* * *

**CHAPTER I**

"_You will always find each other if your hearts are connected.__"_Those words had echoed in Sora's mind for several days, haunting him. He couldn't find any explanation for why they stuck so strongly with him, he only knew that somehow that logic would serve him well in the future.  
Perhaps...

It was another normal day in the idyllic Twilight Town. The familiar orange rays cascaded over his figure as Sora ascended the hill up to Station Plaza, where he was set to meet with some very familiar companions. Ever since they'd started living here in this peaceful town, the days had started to melt together. He wasn't used to this sort of quiet...

He reached the top of the slope, and smiled, seeing the others waiting for him.  
Kairi.  
Namine.  
Roxas.

However, his beaming face was tainted with confusion, as he walked over to join them. "Hi guys. Sorry about the wait, I was just getting the last of my money together."  
Kairi waved it off, smiling back at him. "Hey Sora, don't worry about it! We're just glad you could make it in time."  
"Yeah, the train is set to be leaving for the beach soon." Namine explained, her pale blonde hair being ruffled by the breeze. "We wouldn't want to miss it and have to wait another hour, especially since it's so warm today."  
Roxas only nodded in greeting, keeping up his usual shy and quiet wall.

"That's great but uh..." Sora looked around. "Where's Riku?"

There was a long silence, and then Kairi spoke.  
"He said he wasn't coming today. Said he had stuff to do..."  
"Oh..." Sora's look instantly saddened, and everyone (even Roxas) rushed up to try and comfort him. After all, seeing Sora looking down was completely out of character for him.

"Don't worry Sora." Namine clasped her fragile hands around his arm. "He can come to the beach with us another day."  
"Yeah!" Kairi nodded. "Besides, if he doesn't come today, then that leaves us a little extra cash not having to buy him a pretzel too, right?"  
"Haha, I guess that's true!" Sora scratched his head, giving them all his signature toothy grin. "Thanks guys, I needed a bit of cheering up!"  
"Of course!" Kairi and Namine echoed in unison.

"Still..."  
The three of them were broken out of their rejoicing by an unsure voice, and they all turned to face the source of it. Roxas looked back at them through sapphire blue eyes, eyes always tainted with sadness and a sense of being incomplete.  
"What if he's gone and joined up with Seifer's gang? I mean, it's possible right?"

Kairi, Sora and Namine looked between each-other, then back at Roxas. Sora chuckled, giving Roxas a hard poke in the side which made him flinch with pain.  
"Riku would never do something like that!" the brunette assured him. "He's always going on about how those guys are just big-headed losers. He wouldn't be caught dead with them, trust me."  
Roxas glanced to the side, but nodded. "Yeah...I guess you're right..."

Sora watched as Kairi went over to the side of the platform, and leaned against it, looking out at the rest of the town. He admired her, looking at the way her soft brown hair floated in the light breeze, the way her baby blue eyes observed her surroundings, the way her right leg leant against her left in such a way that her shadow looked absolutely perfect. There was a sense of relief, as Sora felt like nothing could ever take her away from him, even if he did suspect Riku having feelings for her still.

Roxas looked at Namine, who had engaged Sora in brief conversation. He didn't know what to think. She looked so fragile, like a brittle doll that would break in the slightest wind. She looked so akin to Kairi, except her features were all so much paler, like someone had taken Kairi and washed all the colour out of her. He didn't know what to feel, unlike Namine. She knew she had feelings for him, just as she knew Kairi had feelings for Sora. Unlike Kairi, she wouldn't be able to handle Sora's loud and upbeat attitude when she herself was such a quiet and thoughtful person. That was one of the reasons she liked Roxas. He was always thinking, it seemed. His presence was so delicate, it was the sort of presence she could draw most comfortably in.

They were all suddenly alerted by the sound of the clock tower bells. It was time to catch the train, for a day out they'd all been looking forward to.

At the time none of them had any idea that what they imagined would happen, was completely the opposite of what was going to.

Sora called out to Roxas as he neared the stairs. "Hey Roxas, I'll race ya!"  
Roxas looked unsure for a moment, but was gradually filled with determination. "Okay!" he shouted back, and sprinted up the steps.  
"Hey no fair!" Sora raced after him. "You started early! Cheater!"

Namine and Kairi walked at a more leisurely pace, giggling to themselves.  
"Some people never change." Namine chuckled.  
"Especially those two." Kairi replied. "Those two are a prime example."

Sora had finished arguing with Roxas, and reached out to touch the glass doors of the station. No sooner had his palm pressed against it, than there was a loud scream. He immediately spun round to see Namine and Kairi held tightly by two figures in black cloaks, their mouths muffled by gloved hands. Roxas was lying unconscious at the strangers' feet.

"KAIRI! NAMINE!" Sora yelled. "ROXAS!" He leapt towards the two mysterious characters. "WHAT DID YOU DO?!"

Just as he summoned his Keyblade and made to strike for the two of them, his drawn out scream was suddenly cut short, and his world turned black.

The last thing he could remember was feeling the Keyblade drop from his grasp.

...

* * *

**A/N:** So this chapter is short because it's basically just the intro to the story. The next chapter and the ones after that will be longer of course, and we'll find out just what's happened to our fellow heroes! (Though if you read the summary, it's kinda obvious).

_**~Para-chan**_


	2. Chapter II

**KINGDOM HEARTS**

FIVE HEARTS

* * *

**DISCLAIMER:** I don't own anything except my idea for this story. I'm so jealous of Squeenix.

**A/N:** Five is such a perfect number, don't you think? It makes me feel kinda sorry for Riku though. He's the one always left out. Maybe I should write a yaoi with him and Seifer, since Roxas was so adamant they had something going on...*wink wink*

* * *

**CHAPTER II**

In that moment of darkness, Sora had felt nothing but blinding fear. What had happened to him? More importantly, what had happened to his friends?  
Roxas.  
Namine.  
Kairi...

That fear was all he had while he was trapped, floating in the endless black, wondering exactly where it would take him. This unconsciousness was different from anything he had every felt before. Like there was something in there with him...calling to him.

* * *

Kairi gradually managed to force herself awake, to find herself in a strange room. Everything was white, and yet it didn't feel sterile so much as...lonely...

Her joints were stiff, and as she sat up and stretched out her arms and legs, she realised she had been lying in quite a comfortable bed. It matched the pale shades on the walls.

Then she remembered what had happened. She remembered following Sora up the station steps...Namine and Roxas were there too. Suddenly she had felt a dark presence, and no sooner had she felt it than it became a reality, and she had been captured by a strange cloaked person. Moments later, she had blacked out, and now she found herself here...

She stood up, rubbing her head as she looked around at nothing in particular (considering there was practically nothing to see). "Where am I?"

"We call this place The World That Never Was."

She squeaked, hearing a male voice whispering very close to her ear. Instantly she spun round and held up her fists defensively. What she saw, took her aback a little...

It was another cloaked person, though this time they had their hood down. It was a boy, probably an older teen about her age. He had blonde hair which was spiked up at the top, the rest of it coming down to his shoulders.  
"Whoa, sorry. Didn't mean to scare you." He explained with an honestly concerned face.  
"N-no..." Kairi slipped out of her defensive mode. "It's fine..."  
"Well anyways-" he held out his hand to her. "Yo, the name's Demyx."  
"Demyx..." she cautiously took his hand and shook it. "Um...I'm Kairi."

"Yeah." he nodded and slipped his hands behind his head, seemingly proud of himself. "I know. I was the one assigned to you after all."  
"Wait...assigned?" she narrowed her eyes.  
"Oh yeah." he glanced down at her, his eyes widening. "Oh, you didn't know?"  
"How was I supposed to?" she asked, frowning. "I don't even know you."  
"Oh right, right." he waved it off. "Yeah you and your buddies all got a guy like me assigned to them. Y'know, someone to show em around, make sure they don't cause trouble, that sorta thing."  
"What?" she snapped. "Okay, where the hell am I?! What's going on?!"

He seemed taken aback by her sudden outburst of anger, staring at her. "Ah...well you're in like...The World That Never Was..."  
"And what is that supposed to be?!" she retorted, full of rage.  
"It's our headquarters..." he explained with a nervous edge in his tone. "Y'know...Organisation XIII?"

"Organisation XIII?" Kairi had never heard of it. "Alright then, and what does your 'organisation' want with us?!"  
"Well, Xemnas said that you guys were one of a kind, that you all had special gifts and stuff..." he ruffled his hair, "...something about the bonds between your hearts being super strong...or something..."  
"Is he your boss?" she asked, already formulating a plan in her head.  
"Yeah, why?"  
"Take me to him."

* * *

Roxas felt himself being roughly shaken awake by a very strong pair of hands. He groaned, thinking he was in his bed back in Twilight Town.  
"Five more minutes..."  
"Argh, come on you gotta wake up now! Or my ass is gonna be toast!"

That was a voice he definitely hadn't heard before.

Tentatively, Roxas opened one eye, and immediately scampered backwards, slamming himself up against something hard. Daring to look around he realised that it was a headboard, belonging to the bed he was currently resting on. And leaning over him was a dangerous looking guy.

He had shock red hair which stuck out in spikes, and two strange triangle tattoos under his eyes. This guy wore the same outfit as those hooded characters, the ones who had knocked him out. Roxas immediately grit his teeth angrily.  
"Just who are you?!" he growled.  
The literal red-head, eyed him up and down with an emerald gaze, and smirked.  
"Name's Axel. Got it memorized?"

Roxas narrowed his azure eyes. This Axel person had an unruly edge to him, as if he could snap at any moment. That was certainly the impression Roxas was getting anyway...

"And you-" Axel continued. "Are Roxas, am I right?"  
He only nodded in response, still glaring up at him.  
"Great. I figured it would be good if I at least knew your name." Axel chuckled slightly. "After all, we're gonna be spending a **lot** of time together."

The blonde felt a shiver up his spine. Why did that last line seem so ominous?

"Oh, you're probably wondering where you are, right?" Axel sat down next to Roxas on the bed, making the boy move even further up against the headboard. "This is The World That Never Was, Organisation XIII's headquarters. And you are our newest member! Congratulations!"

"What?" Roxas gave him a wary look. "I'm not becoming a part of some weird-ass organisation I've never heard of."  
Axel grinned, closing his eyes and shaking his head. "Oooh, better not say that too much around here, otherwise you'll end up dead or worse."

"Doesn't matter, I won't be here for long." Roxas replied cooly.

Axel leaned in close, chuckling in Roxas's ear. "That's what you think."  
Roxas flinched, feeling something hot and sharp pricking the back of his neck.  
"Because if you try and escape, I'll have to punish you." Axel thankfully moved away again, and Roxas felt the pain on his neck disappear. "After all, that's my job."  
"Your job?"  
"Yeah." Axel winked at him. "I'm your Guardian."

* * *

Namine gulped, pressing herself back against the wall as hard as she could as she watched the pink-haired man enter. He wore a devious smile which could only mean trouble for her, and he held a blood red rose to his lips, making him look even more feminine than he already did.

"Now now Namine." he coaxed her, and she was too frightened to question why he knew her name. "You needn't fear me. I'm here to look after you. I'm here to _protect _you."  
"I don't need protecting..." she managed to speak in a surprisingly level voice, but her confidence was shaken as he finally reached her, his feet standing inches from hers. He smelt like flowers, and Namine could almost have been fooled by his act had he not been wearing the same cloak of the people who captured her and her friends.

"P-please..." she stuttered. "Where are Sora and Kairi and Roxas?"  
The pink-haired man laughed. "Heh...wouldn't you prefer introductions first?"  
Namine glanced off to the side. "Well you clearly know who I am..."  
"But do you know who I am?" he placed his hands on the wall either side of her. "That is the real question."  
"Who are you then?" she muttered quietly, looking down, but he tilted her head back up with his gloved hand.  
"Marluxia, my dear."

"Marluxia..." she breathed, watching as he walked away from her, moving his arms flamboyantly as he announced:  
"And welcome, to The World That Never Was. In other words..." he smirked, looking round at her with a devious look in his eyes. "Your new home."

"W-what?" she struggled to make sense of the situation. Marluxia intervened before she could even speak.  
"Now now, poor thing." he traced her jawbone and stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. "It's a lot to take in all at once. Here-" he ushered her over to the large table in the centre of the white room, upon which was a sketchpad. She looked at it cautiously, then stepped out of the way as Marluxia pulled out a chair for her.  
"Please, sit."  
She nodded in obeyance, and sat down, feeling his strong hands curl around the back of the chair either side of her neck, as he pushed it in slightly. He then slid the sketchpad over towards her, and set down a few crayons.

"Won't you draw me something, my dear Namine?" he asked in silky tones, breathing against her ear.  
"I..."  
"I know you like drawing, Namine." he smirked against her ear. "That's why you can draw as much as you want here, you can draw all day, you can cover the walls in your sketches."  
"I...appreciate this...but..." she brought up the courage to swivel round in the chair and face him. "I need to know what's going on. Where my friends are, and why you took me here."

He chuckled to himself. "Your friends are safe within this castle, and to answer your other questions, all I can tell you right now is that you are very special, Namine." He leaned in again, but his voice was softer, more soothing.  
"Please, at least let me see them!" Namine protested, but Marluxia shook his head.  
"I'm afraid I can't. It's not up to me...yet..." he replied, standing up fully and walking towards the door. "But don't worry. You just keep drawing and everything will be fine. Everything...will work out..."

"No!" Namine shot out of her seat and threw herself between Marluxia and the door. "You can't expect me to just leave it at that! I have to know!"  
He narrowed his eyes, and Namine noticed how long his eyelashes were. "Namine, I have been assigned to you. I am your Guardian, and if you disobey me, then I warn you." a deadly smirk crossed his lips. "I have been issued orders to punish any misbehaviour appropriately."

A sinking feeling set into her chest. At that moment, at that exact point in time, Namine knew that her fate was sealed. As Marluxia brushed past her and walked out, locking the door behind him, she sank to her knees.

All she could do now, was draw...

* * *

Sora opened his wide blue eyes, and immediately shut them with a grunt. There seemed to be a blinding white light around him, he didn't appreciate this sort of wake-up.

He sat up, rubbing his head and groaning. "Where...am I?" he looked around, finding nothing but white walls and furniture. It was a truly desolate place. "Twilight Town? No..." he slipped off the bed, to his surprise finding his shoes placed neatly beside it. He slid his feet in then stood up and walked around. "Something doesn't feel right..."

"Geez, you've FINALLY woken up."

Sora jumped and immediately span round to face the source of the whining voice. A hooded figure sat in the corner, sprawled out lazily in the chair. He slipped off his hood to reveal a man with black hair with grey streaks, an eyepatch and nasty scar on his cheek. He gave Sora a hardened glare, before rolling his eyes and standing up.

Sora, being Sora, tried his best to be friendly.  
"Oh...uh...hey there?" he said, and the older man laughed.  
"Hahaha! Hoo boy..." he paced around Sora, like he was searching for something. "...this sure is gonna be interesting. It's no wonder Saix couldn't figure out who to assign to you."  
"Assign?" Sora took up a defensive stance. "What's going on?! Where are my friends?!"  
"Somewhere." the man chuckled. "Don't worry about that shit right now, cuz all you need to know is that this is where you're gonna be staying from now on."

Sora's pupils dilated. "What? What do you mean?"  
"I mean, that this here castle, and our organisation, is all you're ever gonna know for the rest of your puny little life." he smirked. "Oh yeah, and I'm Xigbar, also known as "Freeshooter"."  
"My friends-" Sora began, but Xigbar held up his hand to halt him.  
"No more questions, kid. I'm not here because I want to be. You got questions, go ask Saix."

Sora couldn't comprehend what was happening. Had he really let this 'organisation' take away everything that was dearest to him?

...No.  
He would never let that happen!

The thing he treasured the most was...his friends!  
And nobody was every going to take them away from him!

"Take me to that guy!" Sora yelled at Xigbar who had since grown bored and turned his back on him. Xigbar looked round at him.  
"What?"  
"That guy! Saix, right?" Sora persisted. "He knows what's going on, he can tell me, can't he?!"  
Xigbar tsked. "Yeah, but I ain't takin you there. I can't even be bothered with this shit anymore, special kid or not. I'm going." he sighed heavily, leaving the room, and also leaving the door wide open. For someone who was 'assigned' to Sora, he sure didn't care too much if he escaped.

Though escaping from this place, was easier said than done...

* * *

Demyx was very clearly uneasy. Kairi could see it, he was constantly looking around himself as if on the watch for something going to pounce on him. The two of them walked through the endless corridors, surrounded by white.

"What's the matter?" she asked, and heard him take a shuddering intake of breath.  
"N-nothing, it's just..."  
"Just what?"  
Demyx looked round at her, and stopped walking, forcing her to stop too. "It's just that Xemnas is...kinda...real dangerous, you get me? Like, he could totally rip me to shreds if he wanted to. I just don't like going to see him, is all."  
"I see..." Kairi did feel sorry for him, but she knew she had to see this man. He would explain everything to her.

They arrived outside a menacing door with the roman numerals for 13 engraved on it, and Kairi couldn't help but cower slightly, wondering what was behind it. She was going to meet an important man, she knew it...

Demyx rapped on the door with his gloved knuckle, then looked down at the ground, waiting. A single drop of sweat rolled down his forehead. He looked absolutely terrified...

Suddenly, the door swung open, and a tall man stepped out. Momentarily dazed, Kairi focussed her eyes upon the man who potentially was behind this big mess...

He was...actually handsome...

His skin was tanned and smooth, his eyes a piercing orange glow. He had silvery white hair down to the nape of his neck, which contrasted perfectly with the rest of his dark features.

Kairi took a sharp intake of breath, tugging slightly on the hem of her blue and white plaid skirt. Demyx was-of course-plagued by a much more extreme sense of fear, his eyes focussed strongly on his feet.

"Hmm..." the man, Xemnas, spoke, his voice commanding yet smooth like silk. "You brought one of our captives here?"  
Kairi's eyes sparked, and she stormed up to him. "C-captive?! Is that what I am?! Just a prisoner-" she gasped as she was suddenly yanked back roughly, and looked up at Demyx who was holding her tightly by her collar. He spoke harshly to her without even looking her in the eye.  
"You will not speak in that way to our Superior, understand?!" he hissed, and for the first time, Kairi felt awash with fear around him. Was this part of the reason he was so reluctant to take her here?

"I apologise for her behaviour." Demyx bowed to Xemnas. "It wont happen again, I promise."  
"I would hope not." Xemnas spoke with a slight malevolent smile on his lips. "You are to keep her in check, after all."  
"Yes sir..." Demyx's voice threatened to crack under the pressure.  
"Why did you take her here to me? Has there been a _development?_" He asked.

...Development?

"No sir, but she was adamant that she wanted to ask you some questions..." Demyx's voice came out a lot more formal than usual, and it sounded forced.  
"Oh?" Xemnas stepped closer, making his subordinate flinch. Kairi felt his hand jerk slightly at her collar.

Xemnas looked down at Kairi, raising an eyebrow. "What is it you wanted to ask me?" He questioned, waving Demyx away so he would stop clutching her, to which Demyx obeyed.  
Kairi nodded. "Well...what do you want with me and my friends?" she looked up at him with a sad expression as she fixed her collar. "Please, I need to know..."  
The amber-eyed man took his time before finally answering: "Quite simply, you all have a gift, one that Organisation XIII must possess if we are to succeed in our goal."  
"What...gift?" she asked, having an increasingly bad feeling about it all.

Xemnas smirked.  
"The ability, to wield a Keyblade."

* * *

**A/N: **Hoo, and there you have it. I don't know what people think about a Demyx/ Kairi pairing, since I haven't seen it done before. I can't say it will go that way though ;P anything could happen. ANYTHING...

I made sure this chappy was long enough for the reveal at the end. I had to get it in there, it snuggled in nicely there.

Leave a review...you know you want to. It's sitting right there. Just one word. Just a little something, and Xemnas wont kill me. TT^TT I don't wanna die! **sob.**

_**~Para-chan**_


	3. Chapter III

**KINGDOM HEARTS**

FIVE HEARTS

* * *

**DISCLAIMER:** I don't own anything except my idea for this story. I'm so jealous of Squeenix.

**A/N:** Here's where the real story begins. What will become of our brave heroes? Will they take up their Keyblades and fight for justice? Can this intro get any more cheesy and cliché?

* * *

**CHAPTER III**

The amber-eyed man took his time before finally answering: "Quite simply, you all have a gift, one that Organisation XIII must possess if we are to succeed in our goal."  
"What...gift?" she asked, having an increasingly bad feeling about it all.

Xemnas smirked.  
"The ability, to wield a Keyblade."

The...Keyblade?

Kairi could only stare at him blankly, trying to comprehend what she had just heard. So...she somehow possessed the ability to wield a weapon she'd never even heard of?

Well, this was a fat lot of help...

"I'm sorry, but I still don't-" she began, but Xemnas was already walking back into his room and shutting the door behind him. Before he closed it completely, he spoke once more.  
"You will in time."

Bang. The door was shut.

Kairi stood with her jaw slack, trying to make sense of all she had just heard. Demyx came back over to her, looking apologetic.  
"Let's go back, huh?"  
She only nodded dreamily, letting him practically drag her back to her room. Once they arrived there, Demyx immediately started speaking in his normal fashion again.

"I'm sorry, he's just like that, y'know?" he dusted off her collar sheepishly. "Sorry for grabbing you like that. I had to...or he might've-"  
"It's fine." she assured him, starting to come to terms with everything enough to give him a smile. "I know you were just trying to protect me."  
"Yeah!" he grinned, then scratched his head.

"So, you hungry?"

* * *

Meanwhile, Sora was also looking for someone who could answer his questions (though it was someone considerably less intimidating than Xemnas). The only problem was, Sora had no idea where to go. When he'd left his room at first, the possibility of escape was out of the question as he didn't know if his friends were still here. So, he'd settled on searching for this man Saix, who could hopefully tell him the answer to just that.

His footsteps echoed in the vast and empty hallways that seemed to stretch for miles. In this place, they probably did. Sighing, he ran his fingers through his soft brown hair, listening to the sound of the chains and zips chinking on his clothes. It was monotonous, but better than dead silence.

However, what he wanted to hear most of all, was the voices of his friends. Even aside from Riku, Kairi, Roxas and Namine, he wanted to hear Olette and Pence and Hayner, the Twilight Town troop who always looked out for him and the others, which had been particularly handy when they had first arrived there. Roxas and Namine had already been living there, but he, Riku and Kairi had all moved there from the Destiny Islands, on a quest for worlds and excitement.

It had been several years since then. Sora had grown up. They'd all grown up...

Caught up in nostalgia, Sora wasn't paying attention to where he was walking, and he ended up bumping into something hard.  
"Ouch!" he rubbed his head, then realised that there was a certain softness to what was in-front of him. "Ah, I'm sorry!" he looked up at who he had crashed into, and was quite taken aback by what he saw.

A tall boy (probably older than him) with a shock of red hair that stuck out like spikes. He had narrow emerald eyes that took in every detail of the shorter boy before him. A curious look filled those eyes.

"Hold on a sec..." he narrowed them, and Sora stumbled backwards as he leaned in closely to his face. "Hmm...oh man-" he stood back up, rubbing his head. "Damn you look just like him, don't you? Bleach that hair of yours and we've got twins."  
"What?" Sora shook his head with confusion. "Like who?"  
"Heh, don't even know your friends?" He laughed slightly.  
Sora tried to think of who it could be. "Rox...as?"  
"That a boy." Axel gave him a hard thump on the shoulder. "Where'd you think you're going anyway?"  
Sora glanced down at his feet. "I was let out..."  
"Huh?" Axel chuckled. "Well it's your Guardian's skin, not mine. Not my problem." his look darkened, as he looked down at Sora. "Just to warn you though, I'm an exception. People catch you wandering around here on your own, and it will be trouble for your Guardian, and you."

Nodding, Sora felt the brush of the black coat as the tall guy walked past. He turned round to catch the red-head's last words:  
"I'm Axel, by the way. Got it memorized?"

Gripping his fists tightly, Sora thought to himself about what Axel had said. Was this place really so dangerous that...  
"Axel!" he called after him. "You know Roxas?!"  
All he got in response, was the sound of a tongue clicking. Turning back to where he was heading, Sora narrowed his eyes.

_Roxas..._

Axel chuckled to himself. "So that's the kid, huh..."

He had made sure that Roxas was locked up tightly in his room, unlike whoever had been taking care of Sora. The blonde had naturally protested, but had piped down when Axel came within three inches of him. Of course he was scared, who wouldn't be?  
That's what Axel understood. He could understand that fear and confusion, and he knew that Roxas wouldn't be set free of it for quite some time yet...

Heavy footfall echoed throughout the corridors, as the flame-wielder made his way for the next world. His new mission awaited, and Roxas would be alone all night.

* * *

Kairi lay back on the sofa, resting her head on her arms while she looked up at the ceiling. Demyx was still chewing on a slice, obviously filled with some determination to finish off the large pizza himself.  
She closed her eyes, listening as he crumpled up the box and threw it away. The room was getting colder as the sky grew darker, it could have really benefited from having a fireplace, or at least a radiator.

"Thanks, Demyx."  
Demyx looked up from dusting off his hands to see the brunette smiling at him. "Of course, wouldn't let you starve, right?"  
Kairi smirked. "I hope not. It's hard to tell in a place like this."

Demyx's face saddened, and he paced to the other side of the room, flexing his hands.  
"You hate it here, right?"

"What?" Kairi sat up, tilting her head slightly in her puzzlement. "Well...yeah. I mean, I had everything taken away from me Demyx..."  
For a while he didn't talk, but finally he looked round at her again. "I guess you're right. It's just that...I wish you would be happy..."  
"Because I'm not getting out?"

He was taken aback. She knew exactly what the deal was, but yet she still forced that smile. She was trying as hard as he was...

"Kairi..." he walked back over to the bed, standing over her. He gripped his fists tighter. "I'm sorry...about all of this."  
"Don't apologise." she stood up and placed a comforting hand around his own shaking one. "I saw the man who put you up to this, and I can understand how hard it would be to disobey him."  
Demyx sighed, gently slipping his hand away. "I _know _what happens if you _do_."

Unable to speak in return, Kairi could only watch with her mouth slightly open, as Demyx turned his back to her and went to the door. Before he fully closed it, he spoke quietly.  
"We _all_ do..."

The door clicked into place, and she was left alone again. She couldn't have sworn she heard the lock go in place, but had no interest in trying it. If she tried to run, Demyx would be the one getting hurt.  
She let out a deep sigh, throwing herself face down on the bed. At least it was comfy, and she curled up on it yawning, thinking of how she could happily fall asleep right now despite her circumstances.

Those last words of his though...  
_"We __**all**__ do..."  
_To her, it sounded like everyone lived in fear of Xemnas, and no wonder. Just one look at him, and Kairi had felt her legs buckle.

* * *

By now, Sora had wished he'd asked Axel for directions. Maybe he was just too shocked by the fact the redhead let him pass, or maybe he was just scared. Despite how he disliked the thought, Sora knew he could have easily been in danger around that guy. Not only that, but he seemed to know Roxas. Was he the "Guardian" of Roxas? If so, what had happened between them?  
What about Kairi?  
Namine?  
Riku?  
Either way it was probably for the best not to have told him he was about to try and confront this Saix guy, as by the sound of it, he seemed to be the leader of this "Organisation XIII".

Stuck in the midst of his thoughts, Sora came across a long corridor leading down to a room at the end. Thinking this might be the place, he turned to his left and headed down the stretch, summoning up all his courage. His hands were still gripped tightly from his run-in with Axel, and he could feel a thin layer of sweat on his back. He had no idea how this would play out...

Reaching the end of the corridor, he peeked inside the open doorway, and took a sharp intake of breath. The narrow passage opened out onto a huge room, the far wall being made entirely of dark windows, everything else being white. Sofas were set around coffee tables at various points in the room. There were people there too.

At one table, a blonde boy with a strange hairstyle sat strumming what looked like a Sitar, while an older pale haired man shuffled cards next to him. In the far corner of the room, a woman with long pink hair was conversing with another girl, one with blonde hair in a strange antennae style. As they talked, Sora caught snippets of their conversation:  
"...gave her...drawing..."  
"...all she does?"  
"...little whore...fight...Namine..."

"Wha-Namine?!" he gasped out, and was going to approach them when suddenly a tall shadow fell over him. Why was everybody in this place so damn tall?!  
The man who stood over him now, had long blue hair and piercing gold eyes, and by the way he stood there so proudly, Sora guessed this man was Saix.

"You shouldn't be wandering around." he spoke sternly, and Sora shuddered slightly.  
"Sorry, my Guardian left me and-"  
"Xigbar?" the man closed his eyes, thinking. "Hmm...I'll have to pick him up on that. Thankyou for letting me know."  
"But that's not why I'm here!" Sora snapped, and everyone in the room turned their eyes on him. This was getting beyond awkward now..."H-he told me that you knew what was going on, why my friends and I were taken here..."

Saix mulled his words over for a while, then nodded. "I understand your resolve, but I am not the leader of this project. I can only give you so many details."  
"You're not...the leader of Organisation XIII?" Sora asked, immediately feeling downhearted.  
"No." Saix spoke calmly, his voice never fluctuating in tone. "I am more like the Lieutenant of this Organisation. That is why I can give you some answers, but not all."

Sora looked around, seeing everyone was still staring at him. The Sitar guy looked almost concerned, while the guy shuffling cards was watching with keen interest. The pink and blonde girls were both grinning sadistically.  
"Well...I mean, any answers that you have would be helpful..." Sora said.  
Saix closed his eyes again. "As you wish."

"You and your friends all possess significant gifts which no others possess. Because your hearts are bonded so strongly, you share the same gift. This gift, is the ability to wield a certain weapon, the Keyblade." Saix looked down at his hand, flexing it before looking back at Sora. "It is this gift that will help Organisation XIII achieve it's ultimate goal, which I cannot reveal to you at this time. Be satisfied in the knowledge that your friends are all being taken care of by our members, and that you will be reunited in the near future. We simply have some...things to sort out, before that can occur. Once it does occur, you and your friends will work as members of the Organisation. Is that clear?"

Sora gulped. It was very clear. It was very clear, that things were really not good...

The first day came to a close. The heroes all came to terms with their new lives.  
The second day began...

* * *

Scratch.

Scratch.

Scratch.

Namine worked diligently on her drawing, listening to the sound of the crayons rubbing on the paper. It was the only noise in this deafening quiet.

Ever since Marluxia had ordered so, Namine had been drawing non-stop. The walls were already filling up with the sweet memories of her time.  
Sea-salt ice-cream on the clock tower.  
Going to the beach.  
Making a Thalassa Shell necklace with Kairi.  
Roxas teaching her how to use a skateboard (resulting in many a bruised knee).  
Pence, Hayner and Olette.

The one she was currently finishing off, was of all five of them, even Riku. Ironically, it was his hair which was the last thing to colour.  
It was mellow now, but it hadn't been for a while. That could be seen by the dozens of snapped crayons which had been shoved out of sight under the bed. If Marluxia had caught sight of the results of Namine's stress, the outcome wouldn't have been pretty. She always lied, saying she'd finished them, so he would go out and buy her more, and in time they too would be crushed in her fist. It was an endless cycle of anger and lies, surrounding the pure and happy drawings.

It had been a while before she heard that familiar click of the lock again. He had returned, no doubt to stand in the corner watching her draw like he always did. She never looked forward to this, she could always feel his gaze plaguing her body.  
Marluxia entered, though this time he wasn't alone.

"Oh, so this is the little whore."

SNAP!

Namine stared down in horror at what she had done. The once whole crayon had shattered in her hand, the grey flakes coating her page like thick dust.  
"NAMINE!"

She squealed, and jumped out of her seat, trying to hide from the advancing Marluxia. He caught her all too easily, looping his arm around her waist as he grabbed her wrist and yanked her back into him.  
"What's the meaning of this?!" he growled. She flinched as he flicked back her wrist, and the shards of crayon fell from her hand, clattering onto the floor.  
"I'm sorry..." she whimpered, and heard him sigh with frustration.  
"You'd better not make a habit of this."  
"I wont!"

Still restrained, Namine looked out of her tear-filled eyes to see the blurred shape of a blonde woman pacing around the room, examining the drawings on the walls.  
"Well.." it was the same voice that had called her a whore. "These are shit."  
Namine's pupils dilated. Who was this girl?! How could she be so horrendously rude?  
It got worse, when the blue-eyed woman yanked one of the drawings from the wall-one of Namine and Roxas holding hands-and crumpled it up, dropping it to the floor and stepping on it.  
"There. Looks better already."

"NO!" Namine screamed, writhing with anger in Marluxia's grip.  
"Namine calm down!" he scolded her, pulling in sharp on her abdomen to make her double over in pain.  
The woman smirked, walking over. Namine had her head hanging, so she saw the black boots first come into her field of vision below, then one swung up and clipped under her chin, forcing her to look up at the blonde with a tear-soaked grimace.

Marluxia had tensed considerably. "Larxene..."  
"What?" she giggled malevolently. "I'm just having a look at her. You were right, she really is a slut."  
"St-op..." Namine groaned, feeling the pain on the muscles in her neck.  
Larxene grinned. "Just like a little doll. So easily breakable." she pushed her foot up further, making Namine gasp.  
This time, Marluxia stopped her, grabbing her leg and forcing it back down. "Enough."

To this, Larxene laughed hysterically.  
"AHAHAHA! Oh don't tell me you have feelings for that little bitch?"  
Marluxia glared at her coldly. "I have a duty to make sure she doesn't come to harm. If I disobey that duty, I'll have to answer to Xemnas, and that's just a pain."  
"You're not afraid of him though, are you?" Larxene tilted her head with a crazy look. "It's just you being possessive at the end of the day."

With this, she shrugged and walked away, opening the door to leave. "Fine, I'll let you keep your little trinket. For now."

Then, something caught her eye.  
"Hold on a second..."

Namine watched with frightened eyes as Larxene shut the door and wandered back through the room. She was clearly going there. Clearly...

She reached Namine's bed, and knelt down beside it.  
"Hmm, what could this be?" she smirked, then as if it were a thin sheet of silk, lifted the bed onto it's side with one hand. There, stuffed towards the back of the under-bed, was the one thing that would make it all a whole lot worse. The tell-tale pile of broken crayons, varying in every shade of the rainbow, sitting there like a heap of rubble.

Namine took a deep breath.

She was caught by surprise, as Marluxia suddenly let her slide from his grip and hit the floor with a thud. He walked over to the bed and stood beside Larxene, his face expressionless. Then slowly, his true emotions started to show. His brow knitted, he bared his teeth and he shot Namine a look that could have made her piss herself.

"Namine..." he spoke in a smooth growl, despite his twisted face.  
"I...I didn't mean to-" she panicked, scrambling backwards on her hands until she hit the wall and pressed herself hard against it. "I-it just happened!"  
Larxene was full of glee at the scene before her, and only served to stoke the fire with her remarks.

"Oooh, _someone's _been keeping secrets." she giggled.  
"Lies..." his voice barely reached her ears, but Namine's legs shook frantically. "I hate...lies."  
"She lied to you?" Larxene grinned, tutting at Namine. "Mmm, naughty naughty!"

Marluxia's eyes flared up with rage and he stormed forth, making Namine scream as he came within deadly distance.  
"WHY DID YOU LIE TO ME?!" he shouted, and she whimpered, clutching her head.  
"I thought you would be mad!" she protested softly.  
"I AM MAD!"  
"See?!"  
"...Namine...look at me..."

She was hesitant, but slowly brought away the hands from her face and looked up at him. His tall dark shadow fell across her, making her shudder.

"I'm sorry..." he suddenly summoned a green whip in his hands, and Namine gasped, noticing that it was no mere whip, but it was a vine of sharp thorns.  
"But I have to do this."

Larxene's eyes sparkled as he raised his arm, then suddenly brought it down, and with a loud CRACK!...bore a deep gash in Namine's cheek. She screamed as the force hit her, making blood splatter from the fresh wound onto the sterile floor.

Marluxia watched her start sobbing, clutching the large cut. Hopefully it wouldn't be so deep it would scar...  
Sighing, he made the vine whip dissipate, then turned towards Larxene.  
"So...we had a mission together today?"  
"Hmm..." Larxene smirked, pressing the side of her finger to her lips as she eyed up Namine.  
"Listen." Marluxia grabbed her shoulder firmly. "I took you to see her like you said. And today you saw her pain. Now that's enough, we're going on our mission."

"Hmph!" Larxene shoved him off her and headed to the door once again. "It was amusing enough. Can't say I'm fully satisfied though..."

Marluxia shook his head disdainfully, following suit, not even looking back at the golden haired girl, curled up in her own blood.  
SLAM!

The door was closed.

* * *

**A/N:** I. Felt. So bad y'all! I've never ever written Namine abuse before, and it made me feel so bad. Naturally it's tough for them all starting out, and they will have their own trials to face, but my lord, poor girl. Marluxia probably acted just a bit too rashly, but I think that was mostly due to Larxene being there. She just stokes fires of anger all the time, you can imagine what she's like around Axel, get it? Ahaha...bad joke.

So...for the sake of Namine, leave a review. She could use the cheering up. **Sniff.** As could I...

**~Para-chan**


	4. Chapter IV

**KINGDOM HEARTS**

FIVE HEARTS

* * *

**DISCLAIMER:** I don't own anything except my idea for this story. I'm so jealous of Squeenix.

**Special Thanks: **To my first reviewer, Keyblade Master Mathias, thanks so much. I was sad too, though I'm reluctant to kill Marluxia off, because I do like him. However, maybe I'll make him suffer a little, since he did hurt someone as sweet and fragile as Namine...:'(

**A/N:** I really don't know what will happen this chapter...  
It's...exciting.

* * *

**CHAPTER IV**

The Organisation XIII members sat in the conference room, all in their allocated seats at different positions on the wall. Xemnas sat right at the top, looking down at them all with a slight grin. He cleared his throat, and the meeting commenced.

"As you all know, our most promising candidate was allowed loose by the uncaring actions of Xigbar. He has been punished accordingly." Xemnas spoke.  
Xigbar kept his head down, and said nothing.  
Xemnas continued. "Saix has been unable to find someone suitable to assign to the boy Sora, as it seems that his heart cannot be unlocked so easily. We have tried assigning both Xigbar and Saix himself, but it is quite simply a case of incompatibility with the power of the Organisation. We have come to the conclusion that it would be for the best if Sora was left to discover his power by his own pure will. That time, we feel, is on the horizon. Therefore, I order all assigned Guardians to start the Initiation Project, and unlock the powers within our other candidates. Is that understood?"

The room was quiet as all the other members nodded.

"Now then, it is time to address my second issue." Xemnas shot Marluxia a quick glance, grinning ever so slightly. "The case being that recently there was an incident involving the girl Namine disobeying her orders. As you all know, and I shall swiftly remind you, any disobedience in these halls is to be punished. That being said-"  
Marluxia shifted uneasily, feeling both Xemnas' and Larxene's eyes on him.  
"-do not treat our little ones _too _roughly. They are, after all, very precious to us. It would be a shame to see them broken before they have even started to serve us."

Saix spoke next. "Any further questions?"

The hall was silent. Not even the most rowdy of members spoke under these circumstances...

After the meeting was finished, they all went their separate ways. Axel was considering going to lounge around with Demyx in the common room, but decided against it. What Xemnas had said, had struck him somehow, somewhere. Roxas was technically disobedient all the time. He never had anything good to say, no matter how hard Axel tried to initiate a conversation. It was always the same response. Silence. He barely ate too, and if this kept up then his health would surely deteriorate, and Axel would be put at risk for an earful from Xemnas. A very painful earful...

He sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets as he settled on going back to check on Roxas. As he headed back down the hallway away from the common room, he caught sight of Larxene and Marluxia talking to each-other suspiciously.  
Wasn't it Marluxia who had been taking care of Namine?

Marluxia narrowed his eyes at Larxene's words.  
"We harness that power for ourselves-" she whispered gleefully. "-and this place is all ours."  
"We can't be hasty..." he lifted a rose to his lips, trying to disguise his uneasy posture. "It is a delicate operation, with a delicate someone involved."  
"Sure was delicate." Larxene snickered. "Considering the way-"

She shot Axel a dangerous look, noticing his eavesdropping. The Savage Nymph was just as observant as always. Axel tsked, moving along, and the two conspirators ended their conversation abruptly.

* * *

The red-head came to a stop in-front of Roxas' door, taking a deep breath before knocking three times.  
"Roxas, I'm coming in."  
Of course, there was no response, so Axel barged in anyway.

Roxas could hear everything, the sound of the door shutting, the sound of the lock snapping into place, the sound of the boot-clad footsteps heading for the bed, the sound of the soft 'shh' that came upon Axel sinking down into the sheets as he sat next to Roxas.  
He sighed. Once again, the kid has his head hidden behind his knees, curled up like some-sort of depressive. Axel looked around the bed.  
"Hey, where's the book I gave you?" he asked, puzzled.  
No response.  
He scanned the room, then spotted the familiar shape, thrown halfway across the floor.

"Ah geez." he grumbled, getting up and going over to retrieve it. He picked it up, then stared at Roxas with frustration.  
"What the hell is your problem?! Can't you see I'm trying to help you out here? I had Zexion pick this one out for you, it's not like I'm neglecting you, right?!"

No response.

Axel growled, getting truly angry. "Say something dammit!"  
No response.  
At his wits end, Axel lobbed the book at Roxas, smacking him over the head. The boy's head went lopsided briefly, then he corrected it, resuming his previous posture.

Axel bared his teeth and walked over briskly, kneeling down on the bed in-front of Roxas. "Talk to me!"  
No response.  
Seeing no other choice, he grabbed Roxas by the hair and forced his head up to look at him. It was then he saw what the golden-haired teen had been hiding all this time.

His sapphire eyes were lined with red, tears had dried all the way down his cheeks. He was a wreck from all the crying. Axel couldn't describe him as anything better.  
"W-whoa...hey now..." he let go and ruffled Roxas' hair, trying to make him feel better. "I didn't realise you were-"  
"Of course you didn't realise..." his voice came out croaky and quiet. "Because a heartless person like you could never understand..."  
Axel sighed, scratching his head. "Yeah, you're right. I am heartless. Literally. I don't have a heart."  
Roxas stared up at him, letting out a gasped: "What?"  
"I'm a Nobody." Axel smiled sadly. "And Nobodies never understand how it feels to cry or be sad."

Roxas shifted his knees down so he could see better. "You look pretty sad right now."  
Axel stared back at him, looking genuinely shocked. Then he shook his head, closing his eyes and chuckling hopelessly. "Yeah, you don't have to try and cheer me up."  
"I'm not trying to. I hate you." Roxas stated bluntly.  
The Nobody sitting beside him only shook his head once more and stood up, putting his hands behind his head.  
"Yeah...well...can't say I didn't expect that. You have every reason to hate me."  
"I do."  
"If I had a heart, maybe I would take offense."  
"Maybe."  
"Yup." he stole a glance at Roxas with his emerald eyes, and scratched the back of his neck. "So do you need anything? Like food or a drink or-"  
"I need my friends."

"Oh..." Axel was in the midst of trying to think of something to say, when there was a flash of yellow, white and black, and he immediately started as Roxas bolted for the door. "HEY!"  
It was locked, how was he going to...?  
The answer became clear as Roxas grabbed a chair in his flight, and Axel immediately ran for him.  
"DON'T EVEN TRY IT!"

Just as Roxas reached the door, his head was yanked back sharp and he dropped the chair in his fright. Axel proceeded to drag him across the floor, ignoring his screams of protest, before he threw Roxas hard onto the bed, a BANG! sounding as the boy's back slammed against the side wall, before his body settled limply on the bed. He managed to prop himself up on his hands, panting, as Axel advanced towards him.  
"I warned you." he reached the bed, giving the boy a furious glare.  
"FUCK YOU!" Roxas screamed back, and Axel slapped him hard.  
"Don't you DARE talk to me like that!"  
Roxas threw him a dirty look, clutching his bruised cheek.

"I don't care, you're nothing but a FUCKING, BIG-HEADED, ASSHOLE!"

Axel's eye twitched, and he raised his hand again. Only this time, it became swathed in a burst of bright flame.  
Roxas' pupils dilated, and he started to shake his head, slowly increasing to a frantic pace as he pleaded desperately.  
"No. No! I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I didn't mean it!"  
Axel raised his hand ever higher, on the verge of bringing it down.  
"I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry!"

Axel paused, then closed his eyes as he clenched his fist, making the flames dissipate between his fingers. He opened his eyes again to see the petrified Roxas trying to calm himself down.  
"You ain't so tough now, huh?" he sighed, kneeling down before him. "Listen, I don't wanna-"  
Roxas was trembling and still shaking his head, so Axel gripped it to make him stop. Roxas couldn't take a breath from the fear.  
"LISTEN." Axel ordered, and Roxas tried his best to stop his jittery breathing. "I don't wanna hurt you, okay? But if I don't discipline you, then one of these days you'll say something like that to Xemnas, or even just one of the more dangerous lower members, and you'll come away with much more than a few bruises. You should be grateful you have someone like me looking after you. Anyone else, with few exceptions, and you'd be black and blue all over."  
Roxas nodded timidly, all walls broken down around him.  
"Like I said, I don't wanna have to hurt you, alright?" Axel took another deep sigh. "But I have to if you keep acting this way. Orders, y'know?"  
"Orders..." Roxas breathed as Axel slipped his hands away from his face. "From...Xemnas?"  
"Yeah." Axel grimaced. "That guy...ugh never mind, just know that if you treat me good, I'll treat you better, okay?"  
"Axel..." the blonde glanced off to the side. "All I want is to be with my friends, to be back in Twilight Town again. With Sora and Namine and Kairi and Riku, and Pence, Olette. Hayner, man I even miss Seifer..."  
"Friends, huh..." Axel looked down at the floor. "Lucky lucky."  
"Huh?"  
"Well." he looked back up. "I don't know what it's like. Never had any."  
"Axel..."

He stood up, smiling away his worries. "Doesn't matter though. Can't afford to get sentimental in a place like this." he looked down at Roxas. "You'll see your friends soon. We just gotta deal with something first."  
"Deal with something?"  
"Yeah." he chuckled. "You're gonna find out what sort of power sleeps inside you. As am I..." Axel shot Roxas an excited look. "I can't wait to find out what truly lies inside you, Roxas."

* * *

Marluxia groaned. He hoped Axel wasn't smart enough to catch onto what he and Larxene had really been speaking about. After all, it would just be one big headache if he had...  
He really didn't need the stress. The thing with Namine had been pressing on his mind ever since, but he couldn't place quite what it was that he felt so guilty about. It was only what she'd deserved!

However...Marluxia had never struck a girl so young, so fragile, as her. Of course it was strange to do so after such a long time, but for some strange reason it was bugging him all the time. Larxene knew it, and so naturally provoked him at any chance outside of when they had their serious conversations. Serious...to a degree, Larxene was still Larxene after all.

He knocked on Namine's door.  
"I'm back, Namine." he stepped inside and shut the door behind him. He made sure to lock it, though there was little reason to. It was highly doubtful that she would attempt to escape after his earlier outburst.

Namine was sitting at the table, drawing as always. As Marluxia came closer, he saw that she was making amends for Larxene's evil deed, re-drawing the picture she had callously torn from the wall. He watched her hand move delicately, every detail taken into account despite the chunky medium she wielded. Everything about her was like easily-breakable glass. This got him thinking about the wound he'd given her...

"How are you feeling, Namine?" he asked, and she placed down her crayon gently, before looking up at him with her big, innocent eyes. He took a sharp breath, she'd mended her cut by her own hands, using the first aid kit in the bathroom, and she now had a large bandage stuck on her cheek. The white fabric was so akin to her skin tone that it practically blended in.  
"Good." she smiled shyly, before returning to her work.  
Marluxia grimaced, knowing she was only being so joyous because she was scared.  
"I see." he murmured, bringing out a blood red rose and setting it into the empty glass vase on the table. Namine watched out of the tops of her eyes as he brought over water and poured it into the cylinder, before setting down the jug. His look was distant and thoughtful, he was surveying the walls, studying every drawing she had done. There were more than last time.  
"Who's this?" he asked, walking over and pointing to one of the drawings. The characters were drawn in warm shades, one with brown hair and orange clothes, one on the chubby side wearing red and blue, and one with spiked up, wavy, pale hair, in green.  
"Friends...from Twilight Town..." she clasped her hands on the table. "Hayner. Pence. Olette."  
"I hope you said your farewells." Marluxia came back over and sat down at the opposite end of the table. "I doubt you'll be seeing them again. And even if you do, there will be no time for pleasantries."  
Namine swallowed thickly and looked down at her drawing. "It doesn't matter."  
Marluxia raised an eyebrow. "Hm?"

She stood up firmly, and took a long look around the room before speaking right to him.  
"It doesn't matter, for I have my memories."

He watched, taken aback, as she sat back down and continued drawing. The silence that followed her statement was broken up only by the sound of her crayons scratching and rubbing away at the paper. That, and the sound of both their breathing.  
Shallow.  
Quick.  
Both breathing patterns conveyed a sense of uneasiness. The walls were closed in around them, they could barely move. Barely breathe.  
Barely say a word.

"Listen Namine!" Marluxia suddenly stood up, knocking his chair back onto the floor. Namine jumped, the red crayon flying from her hand and clattering across the table.  
"I did what I had to! You are nothing but dirt compared to me, and I wont take lying from you face down! Do you understand?!"  
Namine's fingers trembled, she twisted her face.  
"Are you going to hit me again?"

Again, silence, only this time with nothing to break it.

"No..." Marluxia sighed deeply. "Today I have a task for you instead. Put away your drawing things..."  
Namine hesitated.  
"No, wait...don't. We might need them after all." Marluxia heard her shoulders relax, and put his hands on his hips, sternly. "But I want you to get up and come over here."  
She was still cautious, but behaved well and obeyed his orders. Marluxia watched with mesmerising eyes as she reached him. Small...the top of her head barely came past his chest.  
"What do you want me to do?" she asked timidly, but with a score of bravery through her voice.

Marluxia smirked, his guilt no longer an issue. She was doing as she was told, and that was all that mattered. For now anyway...  
She twitched as he gripped her chin in-between his fingers, his thumb pressing at her bottom lip, and tilted her head upwards to look at him.  
"Good girl." his voice came out smooth, almost florally. "Now I don't want any more lies. Tell me honestly, who is it that you love and want to protect the most? Who is that one person, Namine?"

What a question to ask, she thought. How was she supposed to answer?  
But she knew it, didn't she?

"R-Roxas..."

* * *

**A/N:** Whelp, figured there would be a good place to end it. Leave a review if you like, or maybe even follow if you're in a particularly saintly mood.  
Axel: You're so desperate...  
Para-chan: SO WHAT IF I AM?!

Ahem...sorry about that.

Look forward to the next chappy!

_**~Para-chan**_


	5. Chapter V

**KINGDOM HEARTS**

FIVE HEARTS

* * *

**DISCLAIMER:** I don't own anything except my idea for this story. I'm so jealous of Squeenix.

**A/N:** Thus begins the mysterious "Initiation Project"...

Just wanted to thank everyone who has read, reviewed and followed my story so far! You guys are my motivation so please keep reading and giving me feedback! This chapter took a little while because I was busy over the course of Halloween and such, hopefully the wait wasn't too annoying.

**Yimo**, thankyou for the advice on line breaks. I put dotted lines in but I don't think they show up on all devices so I corrected it as you advised. Also I did mention in the summary that there will be yaoi/yuri, or is it just that you'd rather Roxas was paired with some other man? I like him and Axel together mostly due to playing 358/2 Days, I thought it was really sweet. Of course, KHII as well. Thankyou for your review, glad you like the other pairings.

I'll use this as an opportunity to encourage you all to **leave feedback on the pairings**! This story can go any way, I want it to be something you guys enjoy, and so if you don't like any pairings or want to see certain pairings let me know. I can't assure you I'll definitely make the changes (at least not immediately)-for example, I want to do the upcoming yuri pairing for sure even though I know not everyone will approve-but I still want to know what you think. In fact, just let me know if you want any particular scenarios in the story, if there's anything you really want to read about. I have a lot of ideas but I'm always willing to hear what other people think. Of course I'm not asking you guys to write the story, I could do that myself, but I want there to be a certain degree of communication between author and readers. :D So, let me know!

* * *

**CHAPTER V**

"All right! Today I'm the teacher, and you're the student, got that?"

Kairi stared blankly at Demyx. He'd barely said good morning to her and he was already off on one of his tangents...

"Demyx..." she paused momentarily, then continued. "...What the hell are you talking about?"  
Demyx looked a little put-on-the-spot.  
"U-uh...well, I have to start training you now. For, uh, this thing..."  
Kairi narrowed her pale blue eyes. "What thing?"

The teenager scratched his head, trying to think of how to approach the subject correctly. Kairi didn't go easy on him when it came to stuff like this...  
"Um..."  
Kairi stood up. "It's my 'gift' isn't it? My ability to wield a Keyblade, is that it?"

Demyx nodded, and the girl let out a deep sigh.  
"Xemnas wants to use me..." she paced back and forth, her shoes echoing on the cold floor. "...and he intends to use my friends too..."  
"Well...'use' is a kinda strong word..." Demyx muttered.  
Kairi ignored him and continued. "Do you think I'm just going to let that happen without doing anything?" She immediately flicked a burning glare towards him. "Well I'm not."

Demyx lowered his head so his eyes were hidden. He stared at his lap for a while.  
Eventually he spoke, and his voice was completely changed.  
Cold.  
Scathing.  
Threatening.

"Don't oppose me Kairi." he spoke slowly, menacingly.

Her jaw hung slack. She had no words to respond to such a change in his tone of voice. His eyes, however, were cold and serious.

"D-Demyx you can't blame me!" she said, but deliberately softened her tone. Something told her it would be unwise to make him angry, even if he did seem so mellow all the time.

He sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Just listen to me for like, two seconds, okay?"

Kairi watched as he stood up and went over to one of the units in the room, upon which was set a black lacquered box. She watched, as he ran his gloved hand along the smooth surface, before picking up the rectangular object and bringing it before her. He set it down on the floor, then looked up into her eyes.

"Open it."

Kairi gulped, looking between him, and the box at her feet. Eventually, tentatively, she lifted it up onto her knees and set it there, running her own palm along it's length. She could sense something otherworldly underneath that lid, something tied closer to her than anything else she could imagine.

Taking a deep breath, she hooked her fingers under the lid, and lifted it up.

What greeted her, made her heart thump in a sudden moment of excitement.

"O-oh my-"

It was beautiful, yet mysterious. The handle was crafted with such delicacy, that she could see the detail ingrained in each flower, the vibrant colours mixing with the sheer sheen of gold. She picked it up in her hands and held it, feeling the smoothness of the handle, closing her eyes she could feel the sheer power that ran through it.

"Do you like it?"

Kairi opened her eyes at the sound of his question, and nodded with a slight smile. "I love it."  
He grinned at her response. "Good. You'll be using it a lot."

She tensed at that response. "What do you mean? Do you mean to work me dry here, simply because you know I can't leave?"  
Demyx shook his head, clearly a little worried by her words. "N-no, we wouldn't do that-"

Kairi stood, and held the Keyblade out, pointed straight for his throat.  
"I saw the look in Xemnas' eyes. There's no way I can believe a lie like that."

Edging a little closer, she gasped as Demyx pressed the skin of his neck right against the point of the key, his blue eyes glaring right through her. Like a challenge...  
"What are you doing? What do you _think _you're doing?" she hissed in a low tone of voice.  
He took yet another step, and she panicked, reflexively stepping backwards to avoid hurting him. "St-stop it! You're being foolish! You're going to-"

She was cut off suddenly as he reached round and grabbed her arm which rested partially across the top of the Keyblade as she held it.  
"L-let go!" she squealed, trying to pull away, but he held her fast. Before she knew what was happening, he used his other hand to loop round her waist and pull her up against him, forcing the Keyblade into a vertical position against his figure. The tip of it brushed lightly against loose strands of his hair, as he looked down into her eyes. She couldn't move, she could barely breathe. All she could do was stare into those deep azure pools and hope for a release.

"D-Demyx..." she uttered, but was hushed as he pressed his index finger to her lips.  
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he spoke. "Kairi, listen to me."  
She swallowed thickly.

_I'm listening..._

"I would never do that to you. And I wont let Xemnas do it either." his words came out softly. "I promise."

For a moment, just a moment, Kairi felt her cheeks heat up. Of course, there was no way she was actually...you know...  
She wouldn't be...  
It would be so ridiculous...

"S-Sora..."

"Hm?" Demyx gave her a puzzled look. "Sora?"  
Kairi realised her slip of the tongue, and shook her head, though her eyes were still dreamy. "It's nothing..."

_Why did I just suddenly think of Sora?  
That doesn't make any...  
...sense..._

He let her go and she stepped back, holding the Keyblade to her chest.  
"This is...a weapon, right?" she looked up at him with slight concern. "_My _weapon, right?"  
"Right." he nodded, then watched as she took a few paces around the room. "You know, it's okay if you want me to let you think for a few minutes. Just, not too long or we'll be in trouble."  
"You need a decision fast?" Kairi spoke with her back to him.  
He paused for a moment, then replied quietly. "Yes."

She sighed, going to the window and looking out into the darkness. That's all there was out there. Darkness. Emptiness. Shadows.  
"It's cold..." she whispered, shuddering.

* * *

Namine swayed awkwardly from side to side while Marluxia took in what she had just said.  
"Rox...as?" he finally managed to respond, and she nodded, her pale blonde hair partially obscuring her eyes.  
"Y-yes..."

"I see..." Marluxia let out a deep sigh, circling around her as he folded his arms. "Roxas...And he's the one who you care about the most?"  
She glanced at her feet. "W-well...I wouldn't say it quite like that..."  
"But it's true-" he stepped right up to her. "-isn't it?"

It was awkward. Why was it so awkward? Namine wouldn't dream of Marluxia having such feelings for her, yet why was he acting so touchy about the subject? He may have been disguising it, but Namine saw through that, and could just tell the fact she'd said Roxas' name had bothered him a bit.

"I don't know yet..." she placed her hand against her chest, closing her eyes. "I feel like...maybe...I want to protect him. I want to protect all of them..."  
"Them?" Marluxia questioned, and she opened her eyes.  
"My friends." Namine smiled softly. "I'd lay down my life to protect them..."

Marluxia coughed once, ran his fingers down through his pink locks, then gripped her shoulder with one hand.  
"Namine, I'm going to put you through what has been called the "Initiation Project". You have something you need to protect, right? Your friends, Roxas especially." he turned and walked over to the other side of the room. "I'm going to give you the key that will enable you to do that, to protect those precious friends..."

He returned, carrying a white box with a pale silk ribbon tied around it. Setting it down on the table, Namine watched curiously as he pushed it down towards her.  
"Open it, Namine."

Her big eyes took in his confident yet sly expression, and she cautiously started to pull the loops of the bow free with her thin, pale fingers. The ribbon floated down around the box, leaving lifting the lid to be the only remaining step. It was such an easy thing to do, yet she was hesitant.

_Just what am I getting myself into?_

This was no time for questions though. No, that time had long since passed. Bravely, she inhaled and took off the lid as quick as if she'd never had to think twice about it.

Inside, lay a key.  
The key Marluxia had said would protect the ones she loved most.

Taking it out of it's satin bed, Namine was surprised at how weighty yet slight it felt in her hands. It was a large key, the size of a sword. Beautiful, pure snow white, with delicate vine shapes engraved along the handle and curved tip.  
"What is it?" she breathed.  
Marluxia grinned. "A Keyblade, my flower." he slid his hand under her chin and lifted her awestruck face. "Just for you."

She hesitated for just a moment, before standing up and swinging it around a little. Just gently, and clumsily.

"It's a sword, isn't it?" she asked him, and he nodded.  
"You could say that." he replied, watching her as she stepped around the room, testing out the Keyblade. Her figure was lithe, and beautiful to watch even if her hand did not convey the same fluidity.

"Do you want me to use this, to hurt others?" she eventually asked him, her voice slightly pained.  
Marluxia pursed his lips, shaking his head.  
"Not 'others', Namine my dear. 'Heartless.'"

* * *

Meanwhile, Roxas had been thinking about Axel's words.

_What truly lies inside me, huh?_

He smirked, resting his head on the pillow as he lay on his bed. His blue eyes seemed to be looking at nothing in particular, but in his mind he could see the faces of his friends.

_"I don't know what it's like. Never had any."_

Roxas frowned, trying to puzzle out the meaning of Axel's statement. He had never had friends? What about in this place, though? Surely he had companions here, why else would he always be so laid back? It didn't make any sense, if Axel truly was lonely, then he would show it, nobody could cover up such an intense reality as having no friends at all.

At least, that was how Roxas viewed it. For him, he could barely remember what it felt to be lonely, not until now at least. He had gone through a period in his life of being alone, but the friendship he had found in Twilight Town was enough to make him forget that sadness.

Before he had moved to Twilight Town, Roxas had lived a quiet, secluded life in Traverse Town. He had nobody there, he was so shy he couldn't bring himself to talk to anyone. His only reason for being there was that he had lived his whole life in Traverse Town, even though he hated it. Other kids would pick on him because he was an easy target, he wouldn't fight back. He had no motivation for academia or sports or anything, he just spent his days wandering around, scuffing his heels.  
That all changed though, when one day he forced himself to get a part-time job, saved up the money, and moved to Twilight Town. What motivated him was probably the sheer boredom of living the life he was. His demeanour may have been quiet, but that didn't mean that he did not desire to have some excitement in his life.

Enter, Sora.  
On the day after the move to Twilight Town, while trying out his skateboard at the sand-lot, Roxas ran into trouble with the local bully Seifer and his gang. Helplessly being beaten up, Roxas felt that utter loneliness welling up inside him once again, making him want to cry. That was until a certain spiky brunette came in and kicked Seifer's ass (and his company respectively). One sniff of a nosebleed, and the boy introduced himself as Sora, shaking Roxas' hand with a firm grip.  
Sora had a companion too, but this time a girl with auburn hair. She was spunky, but kind-hearted, and although she could be pretty stubborn at times, Roxas felt an affinity towards her and Sora too. However, the intimidating silver-haired Riku was a different story. His attitude made Roxas nervous, he was always so cocky that it reminded the young blonde of the bullies in Traverse Town. That being said, Riku was also smart, and ,as Roxas found out over time, a good friend.

Soon enough they explained to him that they had come from a place called Destiny Islands. The more Roxas learnt of this place, the more he wanted to go there. Sora insisted it had gotten boring there though, stating that he wanted to 'explore all the worlds' or something absurd like that. Thankfully Riku and Kairi would always bring him back down to earth. Yes, it was a relief. For Roxas feared the day that they would leave him...  
...and he would be all...

...alone...

"Hey, Rox-ASS!"  
His reminiscing was broken as Axel let himself in, strutting over to the bed, carrying a black box under his arm. Roxas sighed and sat up on the bed, looking up at the red-haired fire-wielder, who was grinning like he'd just won the lottery or something.

"Why do you look so happy?" Roxas asked him, his voice coming out like a bitter growl.  
Axel didn't even seem to notice though, setting down the box with a thud on the bed.  
"What is this?" the golden-haired boy sat up, continuing to hiss out his words.

"Open it my man, see for yourself." Axel told him, sitting on the bed too and folding his arms. This made Roxas tsk angrily, and he yanked the box over towards him, wasting no time in ripping of the lid and throwing it across the room. Axel only laughed, as the sound of the lid clattering to the hard floor rang out.

Inside there was some pointless wrapping paper, which Roxas removed with just as much tender care as the lid. He raised an eyebrow at what he had uncovered.  
Lifting it out, he examined the giant key. It had a silver handle carved like a flat lion's head, the rest of the key emerging from it's mouth. That too was made of silver, and the tip was crafted like a sharp tongue. From the handle hung a black and white chequered symbol, though the symbol was not a shape he could identify.

"And this is supposed to be...?" he glared at Axel from beyond the length of the key, who only chuckled.  
"S'called a Keyblade, my friend. You use it to slice people up, get me?"

Roxas immediately stood letting the weapon clatter to the floor just like the box lid.  
"ARE YOU FUCKING AROUND?!" he screamed, but Axel only tutted and stood up with him.  
"Just a joke, man." he raised his hands in fake surrender. "Just a joke. Besides-" he ran a gloved finger down the length of the key. "Nicely crafted, ain't it?"

"What do you expect me to use this for?"

Axel grinned at the sound of Roxas' angry query, winking as he leaned in and whispered in the boy's ear.  
"To make me happy, Roxas."

* * *

Just as Saix had foretold, Sora was sat down in his quarters and presented with a black lacquered box, no doubt holding the aforementioned Keyblade.

_"You and your friends will work as members of the Organisation."_

Xigbar tapped his foot impatiently. "Just open it, for fucks sake."  
Sora nodded, trying not to stare to much at the fresh wound down the side of Xigbar's neck.

Lifting the lid, and pulling apart a few satin sheets, Sora found the weapon inside was very much like what he had imagined. The handle was golden, the body silver, and it felt very empowering just to hold it. Why did Organisation XIII have weapons like this?

"So, you know what you have to do?" Xigbar asked, answered with another nod.

"I'll work for the Organisation now, right? I'll be able to see my friends once they receive their Keyblades too?" Sora asked, and he was the one being answered with a nod.  
"Yup." Xigbar grinned malevolently. "Sure ya can handle it?"

Sora gripped his hands round the Keyblade tightly.  
"I'll do anything you ask of me, so long as I can see my friends again..."

* * *

**A/N:** I introduced the idea of Traverse Town in this chapter, and I know that it consists of remnants of worlds and technically shouldn't exist since Sora saved the worlds, but this is AU, and I wanted to include it. Also, Yuffie and Cid and those guys are still going to be in Hollow Bastion/Radiant Garden like in KHII, so here's how it works:

Roxas used to live in Traverse Town, and at that time, so did Yuffie and all those guys. However, something EXCLUSIVE TO THIS FANFIC happened (after Roxas moved to Twilight Town), and the residents of Traverse Town were forced to leave that world. I have my reasons for keeping Traverse Town in the story, which you will discover later on.

Also, yes I did make up new Keyblades for Roxas and Namine. I'm pretty sure there aren't any Keyblades that look like the ones I have given them, but feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. I have also given Sora and Kairi the Keyblades they were originally given in game, basically I wanted all the characters to be given 'starter' Keyblades, which can be changed out later on (just like the game 0o0!). Which leads me to a question:

Do you think Sora's Keyblade would still have the King Mickey charm on it? Because I considered it but would something from Organisation XIII have that symbol? I figured maybe I could have someone give it to him later on, but let me know what you all think? Since this FF is AU I am being quite loose with the details in relation to the canon material, but if there's anything blatantly wrong or something I've messed up which will confuse the storyline, please notify me. This isn't me being lazy, it's just because I haven't played through all the games yet. Thankyou!

**~Para-chan**


	6. Chapter VI

**KINGDOM HEARTS**

FIVE HEARTS

* * *

**DISCLAIMER:** I don't own anything except my idea for this story. I'm so jealous of Squeenix.

**A/N: **Anyone else ever have a spoonful of icing sugar and like it? Even though it kind of tastes like soap? No, just me? Okay...  
Watching people doing baking on TV while I write fanfiction does nothing but make me hungry...  
Just realised I did not beg for reviews in the last chapter. Why? Because I got some, and that makes me very happy. Not to say I don't encourage more, if anything I was requesting for a lot of feedback in the last chapter. Also, this chapter has taken a while which I apologise for. It was my birthday this month plus a bunch of other stuff has been happening so I have just been too busy. Hopefully I can update more frequently in the coming weeks.

**Yimo: **I assure you, I don't intend to let their relationship go off the rails, and I don't like writing smut very much so the perverted content won't penetrate (*ahem*) the story too much :)

**Keyblade Master Mathias: **I made up Roxas and Namine's Keyblades, and I don't think they bear too much of a resemblance to any of the official Keyblades, at least as far as I'm aware. I figured since those were both Keyblades you earned in the game (KHII that is), I wouldn't introduce them as starter Keyblades. Unless, are those the official Keyblades for the characters? As much as I know, Sora and Roxas share the one Keyblade, and Namine never had one.

**Thankyou to all my followers so far and Rosebud1991 for being the first to favourite!**

Please enjoy this one! I've given them all their Keyblades, they know the shizz and now we can finally have our heroes reunite again!

* * *

**CHAPTER VI**

_Five Hearts...  
All...mine..._

Sora, escorted by Xigbar.  
Roxas, escorted by Axel.  
Kairi, escorted by Demyx.  
Namine, escorted by Marluxia.

All four were taken to meet in the Hall of Empty Melodies, and they all knew of the reunion they would be having. It kept a certain ray of hope glimmering.

"Hall of Empty Melodies, huh? What a cheery name..." Kairi joked, making Demyx giggle.  
"Well we are in the Castle That Never Was." he said.  
"The Castle That Never Was, in The World That Never Was..." she laughed a little, shaking her head. "Sounds like a great holiday destination..."

Though while Demyx and Kairi were laughing, the others were all much more sombre. Roxas had a constant face of frustration, eventually driving Axel to hit him over the head. Namine barely spoke, too scared in-case she invoked the wrath of Marluxia. Sora couldn't have gotten a word of decency out of Xigbar if he wanted to, so he didn't even try.

Demyx and Kairi were the first to arrive, still chuckling a little amongst themselves, until they saw Xemnas stood there with his arms folded, of course. They both bowed respectfully as they came before him, Kairi shuddering as she felt him eyeing her up and down. He told them to rise, then walked down towards them.

"You two are early. Having a good time?" he asked with a smirk.  
Kairi heard Demyx gulp. "S-sorry sir, we were just trying to shake off nerves..." he explained, and Kairi backed up his argument by nodding vigorously.  
"Nerves, hm?" the words rolled off Xemnas' tongue like acid. "Well, I assure you, everything will be just fine."

At that moment, the sound of footsteps at the hall doorway sounded, and Kairi spun round. She gasped with delight, seeing a familiar figure at the entrance.  
"Namine!"  
Namine's face lit up, and she was about to run towards Kairi, but Marluxia caught her wrist and pulled her back a little.  
"Don't forget who owns you, Namine." he whispered harshly against her ear, before letting her go. She hesitated a moment, rubbing her wrist, before running off.

_What was all that about? I don't belong to him!_

She kept this thought going round in her head as she ran across the sheer white floor and reached Kairi, pulled into a tight embrace.  
"Oh, Kairi..." she teared up, whispering so Marluxia wouldn't hear, "...I was so scared..."  
"Shh, it's okay now." Kairi assured her. "I was scared too, but we'll be fine, we're together now."  
"Roxas...S-Sora..." Namine clutched Kairi tighter. "I hope they're okay too..."

Kairi looked up behind Namine, and loosened her hug, smiling softly. "It looks like they are."  
At this announcement, Namine turned her gaze and saw Roxas and Sora entering with their respective Guardians almost at the exact same time. They seemed to have already begun conversation, Sora smiling widely as he spoke, while Roxas had to force his.  
"Thank God..." Namine clasped a hand to her mouth, a few tears dripping from her eyes.  
"Sora..." Kairi breathed, breaking free from Namine and racing towards him. She saw his eyes sparkle with joy as he sprinted forth too, the two of them practically throwing themselves into a massive hug.  
Kairi ruffled Sora's hair affectionately, unable to control a few tears. "I missed you..."  
Sora wrapped his arms round her waist, pulling back to look at her with his deep sapphire eyes. "I'm glad you're okay. They didn't hurt you, right?"  
"No." she assured him positively.

Namine clasped her small hands around Roxas' larger ones, giving him a soft smile.  
"Roxas..."  
He made an effort to be positive, smiling back. "Hey, Namine..."

She was about to ask him how he was, but suddenly slipped her hands away and backed up nervously as Axel came up behind Roxas.  
"Yo, got yourself a woman already Roxas?" he teased, making the blonde grimace as he tried to contain his anger.  
"This is my friend, Namine..." he explained through gritted teeth.  
"Namine..." Axel ran her name around his tongue. "Na-mi-ne...huh...nice to meet you."

Namine hesitated slightly as Axel held out his hand to her, but reluctantly took it. He shook it with a firm grip, but not too firm, he could clearly see her frailty.  
"I'm Axel." he told her with a wink of his emerald eyes.  
She nodded quietly. "I...I'm Namine...as you know..."  
He smirked. "It's a nice name."

"Alright, all of you!" Xemnas clapped his hands together, summoning them all to stand before him, each pet with their Guardian. "Now, you all have a purpose, and there is a reason why we have taken you here. Each of you has a special ability, and that is the ability to wield a Keyblade. These Keyblades are very important weapons for our Organisation, but they can only work if wielded by the right person. Over time, they will become part of you, and you will be the weapons our Organisation will wield. To say you are precious assets would be an understatement, and I assure you that we want to protect you, not hurt you." he smiled fakely, his eyes still sly and scheming. "You see, Keyblades are not just ordinary weapons, as you can probably tell. No, they are very unique..."

He began pacing along in a line, up and down before them, while he continued. "In this world, and indeed in many worlds, there are creatures known as Heartless. They are foul beings, who steal the hearts of innocents, and spread their filthy darkness..." he kept a straight face while he spoke, "Only the Keyblades can eradicate them. Your jobs will be to wield the Keyblades-as only you chosen ones can-and defeat the Heartless."

At that point, Kairi piped up.  
"Excuse me, but...why should we perform such deeds for you people?"

Xemnas chuckled slightly. "Because we "people" collect the hearts and return them to their owners. If we didn't do that, the entire process would be pointless. We are helping the citizens of all the worlds. You four may not have realised, living your quiet, safe little lives in Twilight Town, but there are many dark powers out there, dark powers that would seek to hurt even the most innocent and blameless of people." He sighed and shook his head at that point, looking as if he was in pain. "It is truly a tragedy. To think, there would even be a sense of hesitation from the very people who hold the lives of millions in their hands..."

Kairi saw his amber eyes pierce through her, and looked down at her feet. What was she supposed to do? She was only wanting to know their reasons, it wasn't like she was out-rightly refusing to do it. Though, it was a hefty responsibility to shoulder...

"Did you like your Keyblades?" Xemnas continued, and eventually garnered quiet nods from the four of them. The only one who seemed to hesitate was Sora, who had been frowning at the tips of his shoes for the last few minutes or so.

"Problem, Sora?"

"Eh?"

Sora looked up immediately, and turned red, realising how he must have looked just then.  
"N-no, I was listening, honest!" his blue eyes insisted, and Xemnas sighed then tutted.  
"It looked like you were bothered. Was it something I said?"

Sora thought about this for a moment. Something he said? It was _everything_ he said, every word spilling from this strange man's mouth sounded suspicious. However, Sora knew that to disobey him would be a dire mistake indeed, and so decided to play it safe.  
"It's just hard to get my head around all this stuff...that's all...haha!" Sora ruffled his hair and laughed, though it came out more awkward sounding than usual.

It was then that Roxas piped up.  
"When do we get to go back?"

Xemnas turned to him and tilted his head ever so slightly. "Go back? Go back where, exactly?"

Roxas raised his head. His deep azure eyes were cold yet flawless, and he had a determined look on his mouth.  
"Home."

To this, Xemnas chuckled. "Oh, Roxas. Do you not understand? This _is _your home now."  
"No it's not!" Roxas snapped, slamming his foot down, making everyone around him jump and flinch a little with surprise. "You know exactly what I mean! My home is in Twilight Town, that's the only place I will ever belong! You try and keep me away fr-"  
Axel firmly clamped his hand to Roxas' mouth before he could say any more.  
"Reign yourself in before it gets any worse." he hissed in the boy's ear, and Roxas (after a little struggle) obeyed. He relaxed as did Axel, removing his hand and using it to wipe the sweat off his forehead.

_Close one..._he thought.

The imposing figure before them only smirked to himself, giving Roxas a sly pat on the shoulder. "Don't worry. You'll get used to it, I assure you."

* * *

_"You will all be assigned missions with your Guardians to go out and slay Heartless. You needn't worry, you will not be put into any severely dangerous situations until you are fully capable. You will all set out on your first missions tomorrow..."_

Namine recalled those words and shuddered nervously. Even though Xemnas had made the promise of nothing too challenging, it was still a thought, having to go out and fight monsters.  
"Heartless..." she murmured to herself as she exited the hall, when she looked up suddenly and caught sight of Larxene. Immediately, drops of sweat started to break on her forehead.

However, Larxene did not move. She only leaned against the wall with her arms folded, giving Namine a bored yet sinister look.  
"Hey there, ugly."

Namine looked down at her shoes and walked briskly past, ignoring Larxene's rude comment. Marluxia stayed back, walking over to Larxene while Namine headed back to he room. She would probably be relieved he wasn't following.

"Watch what you say Larxene. You sound like a right bitch." he scolded her, and she smirked up at him.  
"Those weren't very floral words for you, Marluxia. What happened, did Xemnas hurt your manhood again~?" she purred.  
Marluxia grimaced. "He never hurt it once, so just shut up. Besides, this is no time for joking around. I'm going on a mission with _her _tomorrow. Should I-"

"Ahem!"

Namine peeped over Marluxia's shoulder, and giggled.  
"Ooh, scary wary Axel-chan is eavesdropping again. Naughty boy~"

Hearing this, the pink-haired man turned round and glared at Axel and Roxas, who were standing and watching. Roxas was clueless and looked like he couldn't care less. Axel however, had his eyebrow raised, remembering his suspicions from last time.  
"What are you two up to, having your sneaky little conversations like that?" he asked accusingly.  
"None of your business." Marluxia replied coldly. "Anyway, I think you should be more worried about your performance tomorrow. Grumpy pants there doesn't seem to be very obedient. You'd best ensure he doesn't mess things up, especially when you've got Xemnas' judgement placed on you."

Axel laughed lightly, ushering Roxas along with him.  
"Come on Roxas, let's not waste any more time on this pansy."

Leaving behind the disgruntled 'pansy', the two of them went back to Roxas' room. Axel let him in first, then closed the door behind them, clicking the lock into place.

"Roxas."

The blonde had his back to him, in the midst of slouching back towards his bed.

"Look..." Axel began. "Don't worry, about any of this, okay? You'll get to go back to Twilight Town lots of times. Just-"  
"Just on missions, right?" Roxas finished his sentence in a callous tone of voice.  
Axel paused, then sighed. "...Yeah, you got it..."  
"I won't even be able to talk to my friends..."  
"...Yeah..."  
"I will only be pretending things are back to normal..."  
"...Yeah..."  
"It'll just be a small comfort, and I'll probably feel even worse afterwards anyway..."  
"...Yeah..."

"...Is this the same loneliness you feel, Axel?"

"...Yeah."

* * *

**A/N: **And just like that, another chapter ends. I'm really enjoying writing this (mostly because I'm a major Kingdom Hearts fan). Please by all means keep up with the reviews, I'd love to hear what you guys all think. We're finally moving into the main storyline here, after a considerably long prologue (remind you of anything?).

_**~Para-chan**_


End file.
